After reading half of Carlos Casteneda’s don Juan I can conclude a number of things:
1. I now understand specifically what Marechera meant when he (referring to this book) said that after his father’s mysterious death, he felt as if nothing was real any more, including people.
2. Reading half of the book was like watching a screen saver set to generate random patterns — to a certain degree an appealing experience, but one wonders whether the time spent was worth it.
3. The closest I get to having a psychedelic experience, or indeed, being out of my mind, is when I’m asleep and dreaming AND when I am doing free-sparring, and my reflexes start working quicker than my brain. Returning from an episode of free-sparring, I always feel shaken up, as if I am reborn.
